This is what “success” looks like nowadays;
– Video marketing campaign ✔
– Photo with Richard Branson ✔
– Photo with Tony Robbins ✔
– Photo of you on a beach somewhere ✔
– Photo of you in front of 5000 people ✔
– Photo with any film actor ✔
– “new car” photo ✔
– Running events where you sell tickets to another event where you then sell tickets to another event… ✔
– “views” on youtube/facebook (views don’t mean much, focus on the engagement) ✔
– Oh and the private jet photo of course! ✔
– Quoting themselves with a picture of themselves ✔
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Sorry to burst your bubble but all of the above does not mean shit, it does not mean the person is successful, it does not mean they know what they are doing, what it means is they are a good marketer that has caught your attention and usually ready to sell you the next online course so YOU can also get all of the above.
Because that is what you wanted right? Or was it? I mean how many times a day are you thinking about wanting any of the above? (the private jet maybe an exception, mine will be a deep blue colour)
Or has it never crossed your mind until you saw that which then created the human desire to want what they have, when if you did get it by doing what they have I am willing to put a bet on that you will not be truly happy or even fulfilled doing it.
The word “Entrepreneur” is thrown around like a pair of dirty underwear in the washing machine.
Firstly, you do not HAVE to be an entrepreneur to be “successful” because success is whatever it means to you! It could be working as a banker and having an awesome family at home – great! If you have achieved that and it is working then brilliant.
Secondly, being an entrepreneur is not just opening up a business in a box thing. It’s a way of life, it’s being able to sacrifice your time, money and social life because you are so fixed on your vision everyone begins to think you might be a little nuts!
So what authority do I have to even write this post? Well as most of you know I started young, around 11 years old was my first business venture but I was also that 9/10 year old who would knock on your door and say “hey mister, do you want your car washed for 50p” (I should of charged £5, rookie error). Since then I have had multiple business ventures, successes and failures. Have gotten into debt and out of debt, have lost friends and gained friends, have been told countless times “why don’t you get a job” and I have done a few times in the past (short term sacrifice for long term gain). My vision is so ridiculously strong that you could not pay me to sit behind a desk doing something I did not love.
I have had the whole, eating plain pasta for a week because I had 72p in the bank and I have been popping the champagne in the clubs as well. I have been in the situation where I couldn’t afford to get a tube to see a potential client and I will be in the position where I could charter a private jet if I wanted to.
The point of this post is to get your awareness of who you REALLY are. What drives you? What are you prepared to do?
I think there is a trend of “Short-term Entrepreneurs” brewing in the world, the ones who come into it and dabble. Maybe they get some success or maybe the are always dabbling. But to be a true entrepreneur, you can not just dabble, you can not just dip your toe into it, this will not generate any form of success what so ever.
To be an entrepreneur you have to be ballsy, you have to be certain, you have to be able to pick yourself up when it all goes to shit (because it will at some point, it needs to for your sake) you have to have those conversations with people when they are “so what do you do” and it’s that weird moment where they don’t really care about your new app.
But here is the real catcher, I want you to succeed, I want you to live the life that you want to live and not just one that you have seen marketed everywhere. Having the guts to be honest with yourself and what you want to do? That is what I want.
So here is to you, whatever stage of your life you are in. Just know that this stage, if you’re happy with it then awesome. If you are not, then you can change it, you can adapt and you can start doing what you want to be doing today.
Because being an entrepreneur is tough, so don’t feel you have to be one.
Be you and discover who you are.
Oh and don’t get me started on the whole – mumpreneur, swedishpreneur, girlpreneur, boypreneur, scooterprener, netflixpreneur, notanentreprneur